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Australia Free Trade Agreements

  Free Trade Agreements (FTA’s) open up opportunities for Australian exporters and investors to expand their businesses into key overseas markets. FTAs can improve market access across all areas of trade — goods, services and investment — and help to maintain and stimulate the competitiveness of Australian firms. This benefits Australian consumers through access to […]

China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) signed

On 17 June 2015, in the presence of the Australian Prime Minister the Hon Tony Abbott MP, Australian Trade and Investment Minister, Mr Andrew Robb AO MP, and the Chinese Commerce Minister, Mr Gao Hucheng, signed the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) in Canberra. The same day, Minister Robb, tabled the Agreement, accompanied by a […]

The opportunity of weighting

As should be expected when regulations are tightened, attention is turning to solution providers to deliver accurate measurement of gross mass at various points through the container supply chain. While the regulatory change in relation to verification of gross mass of containers is articulated in the international maritime legislation – the Safety of Life at […]

China 2030 projections

It has been reported that China’s total international shipping volume will reach 6.2bn tons.  This means that China will account for 17% of the world’s shipping volume by 2030. Container throughput in China will reach 505 million 20-foot-equivalent units by 2030, three super container hub ports will be formed in Shanghai, Qingdao and Hong Kong, […]

Who’s weighting?

  The simplicity of the revision to mandate verification of gross mass is typical of the nature of the ‘box’. There are multiple parties who bear levels of responsibility to ensure that the venture is successful, many of whom have little perception of all the other parties and how they may rely on each other. […]

Why weight?

The shipping industry approaches the twelve month mark before mandated verification of gross mass of containers enters into force on 1 July 2016, we provide commentary on emerging good practice. It hopefully has not escaped the notice of anyone in the freight industry that there has been a modest amendment incorporated into a central piece […]

Career at Sea

As part of an effort to draw more young people to a career at sea, the International Maritime Organization has selected the theme #CareerAtSea for the upcoming Day of the Seafarer 2015, an annual day of recognition held every June 25th for the world’s 1.5 million seafarers and the contributions they make to international trade and the […]

ACBPS seize weapons

Melbourne Gateway Facility was the location for the latest seizures made by the dedicated team from Australian Customs and Border Protection Services (ACBPS). From March 2015, officers have intercepted ten different shipments from China, Hong Kong, Italy and the United States. The consignments contained prohibited weapons which included BB rifles and airguns along with firearm […]

April imports up 30% compared to five years ago

Australia’s total goods imports for April 2015 were up 29% on the same period in 2010, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). A general upward trend over the five-year period has resulted in an approximate rise in the value of imports each year by $1.06bn. In seasonally-adjusted terms, goods debits in total rose […]